Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-01-21
SHALL A MAN Be HUNG.
REV. ROYAL N. PULLMAN
Sal rs NO.

T.J. CLUVERIUs-NOT A BELTEV- !
Err IN THE DEATH PENALTY IN |
ANY CAsE-IOW ITS ABOLITION |
WORKS IN A NUMBER OF STATES.
From the Baltimore American, l7ih.l
Rev. Royal II. Pullman, of the |
Second UniversaliSt church, preach.
cd 10 his congregation at McLaugh.
Inns Hall last night on "The Mis-.
take Of the Death Penalty taking
his text from Romans, xiii, 1-"Let
every soul be subject unto the high.
er powers. For there is no power
but of God: the powers that be
are ordained OF Cod He said
"The judicial killing OF T. j. Gu
yeIius was a mistake of the death
penalty. What we affirm OF this
we affirm of all snch killing. 1t is
all a mistake. This particular case
has that about it which to an eX-
traordinary degree absorbs public
attention. The crime Of which this |
man was convicted, and for which |
he was executed, was horrible in
the extreme. The trial was long |
and tedious, the prosecution was
thorough, the defence able. All |
was done that the most skilful law
yers could do to secure an ac-
quittal of the culprit. Everything
failed. He was found guilty. Since
the Judgment of the court was rem.
dered every effort has been made
to secure executive clemency. The
public has been greatly agitated,
and now that the unhappy man has
paid the penalty of his crime ac-
cOrdlng to the criminal code, the
case has come before the people in
such way as to cause great deal
of earnest thinking, the practical
result of which must be the large
reinforcement OF the conviction that
the death penalty is sad and ter
rible mistake. For such a crime,
positively proven, il ever a man
ought to hang, such criminal
ought to hang. But the question
Is whether, in any case in our land,
and in our high state of Christian
civilization, the death penalty ought
to be executed. The taking OF life
by the sheriff is a killing as truly
as that for which the murderer was
executed, and for which there IS no
warrant either in the teachings of
the Gospel or OF sound political
philosophy. We have no weak
and driveing sentiment to plead In
behalf of the ielon. We love JUS
tice as we love mercy, and believe
in the wisdom OF a full punishment
Of crime. The best Interpretation
of Christianity teaches wholesome
doctrine that there is
NO ESCAPE FOR THE WRONG.DOER,
that whatsoever a man sOws, that
shall he also reap, and that there
is no substitute to bear the penalty
OF the sinner, either in the criminal
court OF human law, or in the court
Of Heaven. 1t is not, then, pitt.
ful and weak sympathy that moves
us to denOunce the death penalty
as a mistake, but faith in the true
teachings ofChristianity, which de-
nOnnces the old law OF blood for
blood, and a strong conviction Of
the unwiSdom, it not the positive
danger to public interests in the
execution of the death penalty.
Because of the present enlighten-
ment, and the educated conscience
of those of our fellow citizens who
are liable to jury duty, it is exceed.
ingly difficult to secure the convic.
ton Of criminals guilty of capital
offence. The testimony in many
cases is not allowed its full weight,
because of the horror and barbara
" OF the possible penalty. An
hundred years ago or more it was
thought that the public spectacle
of an execution was wholesome in
moral effect. Even seats we're pre-
pared for children that they might
learn the awful lesson. But ex-
perience has exploded the idea;
and now the more private the exc
cation the better. The weight of
statistical evidence is all against
any good moral effect of the death
penalty as a detriment of the criml.
nal passions. Society cannot plead
that the death penalty is necessary
as a self-defence. Wise jurists adj.
nit the force of the plea of killing
in selfdefence. Bnt the prisoner
charged with the crime of murder
must show that it was in selfde-
fence and he had no alternative If
he would clear himself But So
ciety cannot plead that hanging
homicides is an act of sell-defence,
for in communities where the death
penalty is in force no other recourse
has been tried. In many states it
has been found that
THE ABOLITION or THE DEATH
PENALTY
and i'm place thereof substituting
solitary confinement for life, has
worked well, and crime or capital
offences have decreased. The plea,
then, of self.defence on the part of
society is not valid. In addition
to these considerations, the danger
of executing an innocent party is
very great. The records show that
many such have been executed. 81
shall ask the abolition of the death
penalty says the great La Fay
cite, "unul | have the infallibillty
of human Judgment demonstrated
to me.r We cannot disguise the
fact that there are thousands who
believe Cluverius innocent. The
almost painful anxiety on the part
of many who preferred to believe
him guilty that he should make a
confession reveals the presence OF
an ugly doubt. To the very last he
maintained his innocence. Such
executions do incalculable mischief.
Had he been sentenced to solitary
confinement for life, the public
mind would have rested in the feel
ing that the penalty of law had not
put him absolutely, as now, beyond
all recall in the possible event OF
his innocence coming to light.
The text is the utterance OF 10y
atty. Keep the law. Honor it as
ordained of God while 1t remains
law, but room is given to question,
as we do now, the death penalty,
..,l 60 Tho oolrn oP 0Ocnal fnaphiuO